Republican who died of COVID-19 in October wins election in US

An American who died of COVID-19 in October has been declared the winner in Tuesday’s election.

David Andahl, a Republican candidate for North Dakota’s state legislature, has won the election for his district posthumously.

Andahl passed away at 55 years on October 5 after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Results on Wednesday, November 4 showed Ahndal and another Republican candidate, Dave Nehring, were elected for the two seats from North Dakota district.

Andahl, who had won the GOP primaries weeks before contracting the virus, remained on the ballot even after his demise because early voting was already underway.

Early voting, also known as advance polling or pre-poll voting, is a voting process by which voters of a particular public election can cast their votes prior to the scheduled election day. Early voting can take place remotely such as postal voting or in-person voting in designated polling stations.

The Republican Party is now expected to find Andahl’s replacement, although voters may petition to have a special election if they are unhappy with GOP’s appointment.

North Dakota has recorded 47,192 confirmed Coronavirus cases so far. 561 people in North Dakota have succumbed to COVID-19 so far.

Similar occurrence in Kenya

Here in Kenya, a similar phenomenon happened in 1994.

Dr. Fredrick Masinde, who was a Ford Kenya candidate for the larger Mathare Constituency in Nairobi, successfully petitioned after losing the seat unfairly in 1992- this was the first election after the return of multi-party democracy.

Masinde then won the subsequent by-election in 1994 when he was already dead.

Masinde died after he was involved in a fatal accident on Ngong’ Road, near City Mortuary.

According to the Standard, Masinde was heading to Mathare for final preparation meeting ahead of the by-election.